Gimmick Lures

[Matthew2000]

Lately there have been some new lures coming out with sounds and light (Livingston lures) or the koppers bait ball line. How do you feel about these do they work or just for the looks of the fisherman?

[Senko lover]

Well, Randy Howell won the Bassmaster Classic on a Livingston crankbait, so nobody's arguing. I like the baitball crankbaits too. Lure companies have to produce innovative lures, or else nobody will buy their stuff, and that's what these guys are doing.

[Matthew2000]

^ I thought it was on a DT-6 or 10

[ABW]

^ I thought it was on a DT-6 or 10

If you watch the video on youtube, he catches the first couple on the DT-6, and then switches over.

[Sam]

Let's face it, guys, we are all suckers for new baits and tactics.

 

Livingston has two types of baits now, the old ones in the red/pink packages and the new ones in the blue packages.  The new ones are about $5 more than the original ones.

 

If you want to have some fun take the time to watch the TV and print ads for fishing tackle and boats.

 

Note the colors, backgrounds, statements, print size, what the pros say and don't say and have some fun.

 

Marketing is a science and when you guys end up in college may I suggest taking a marketing class to study what advertising companies do to hook you like a big bass.

 

I love marketing.  Just watch the backgrounds of car commercials, only and you can see the subliminal colors and suggestions.

 

Now go out and each of you buy some Livingston lures for around $16 to $17 each and make the Bait Monkey happy for Christmas.

[DFrench97]

Saw one on a WFN infomercial.  Its a soft swim bait where you stick scent sticks and lights up in it.  Not saying it doesn't work, I just don't buy stuff from infomercials...

 

[HoosierHawgs]

More baits are made to hook fisherman than to hook bass. It ain't right. Mr. Bass may get used to a lure, but he sure hasn't evolved to get any smarter. I still trick more bass on cheap baits then I do on expensive ones. I can't justify paying $16 for a lure when we have been catching 5-7lb bass on a $3 crankbait. Just my opinion.

[Matthew2000]

I remember one from a few years ago that had a light in the back. They claimed it had caught 1,200 fish in 4 days they were about 15 dollars a piece never did catch a fish on one. They were straight yellow red and blue on 3 different lures. I beleive it was in field and stream.

[Fisher-O-men]

A buddy gave me a jointed popper bait.  It has a piece of Braid coming out of the front that pulls out about 4".  When it retracts the rear end of the bait waggles back and forth.  I expect this lure to catch fish next summer. We'll see.

[BaitMonkey1984]

Not that I am unbiased on this topic by any stretch of the imagination (see my username) but that Livingston Lure Howler Crank bait caught more fish this year for me than any crank bait in the past. Much more. Much more than I could attribute to any other factor. Same lakes. Same equipment...etc.  Nothing in fishing is guaranteed to succeed, but if something works for you, use it. I don't care if someone wants to call it a "gimmick", because I'll be laughing as I keep landing the big ones. Also, sometimes the fish just want something new. 

[Matthew2000]

^ I do agree with that the fish want something new but I fish 2 states throughout the year (ohio and sc) I had more succes with a x caliber square bill over loppers and Livingston. It's different for everyone every where, it could just be a confidence thing

[hoosierhawghunter]

Ye old banjo minnow lmao

[aavery2]

Can't wait to get my free CD, EZ guide and UFO glow kit.

[Senko lover]

If you watch the video on youtube, he catches the first couple on the DT-6, and then switches over.

Yeah. I think he had to represent his sponsors. Imagine Livingston's rage if he had won it exclusively on the Rapala .

[J Francho]

I think most of us can spot the obvious gimmicks.  Others are up to the individual to decide what is marketing hype and what is an actual advantage or gives us an edge in fishing.  Stuff like the Banjo Minnow, Flying or Helicopter lure can, and do get bit.  If it gets a person through the front door and into fishing, so be it.  I'm cool with that.

[smalljaw67]

Ye old banjo minnow lmao

 

The old banjo minnow was actually decent, and I think it is what got anglers nose hooking soft plastics because up until that came out, very vey anglers nose hooked a lure but the banjo minnow changed that and it also gave us the screw lock. It was a gimmick but it just happened to be one that did work, but not like the infomercial claimed it did. The Flying Lure was another gimmick, and while it was pretty much garbage, I have a friend that won 3 local tournaments on that thing and he must have at least 1000 of them, he knew they would become extinct and he made sure it would be a long time until he ran out of them.

[primetime]

Just wait until you learn about Rebranding, that is an interesting subject.

[bassguytom]

I love the Koppers live target frogs. I also catch a lot of fish on the crappie and bluegill cranks. There lures and no gimmick in my opinion. I get them when they are on sale at Dicks's. Then again I fish them on my "Ron Popeel Pocket Fisherman" so what do I know.

[Matthew2000]

^ I'm referring to the bait ball line of lures

[Rhino68W]

I like the baitball series. I've had relatively decent success with a few of them. I wouldn't classify them as a gimmick lure by any means. Just a redesign of an old favorite.

[bigbill]

I picked up the flying lure on a deep discounted price years after it was on tv. I went to a hidden unfished place. It really worked on that trip. But these fish never seen a lure before nor a fisherman.

In a stained/ muddy water condition who knows what will work.

Don't throw your older lures away yet. My first line up of lures are decades old and still are dependable fish catchers. The bomber, the original rapala, inline spinners still catch fish today.

I like to purchase new and discounted lures to see if they catch fish or not. I have fishing spots locally that hold a good number of bass. They tell me what works and what doesn't. I estimate that 90/95% of lures work. The cranks that don't work need tuning. The rest relies on the presentation. Have the faith and keep on trying them.

Practice all the different presentations.

[J Francho]

The Flying lure is still available.  Funny thing about it, it works.  It does what it says.  I fished with a buddy that uses them.  I wouldn't say he outfished me, or that I could have done better had I used them, but you could say that about many lures.  Had it not been lumped into that "as seen on TV" jokes, I bet it would not be so looked down on.  I sort of see it like OxyClean and the Swiffer - both "as seen on TV" products that work really well.  PB Blaster is another.

[Dwight Hottle]

Ye old banjo minnow lmao

 

 

Yea those banjo minnows never worked.  Watch babe Winkleman smoke some pike up at Lac La Martre in the NWT. Sight fishing in a shallow bay.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5JUzoWgrvU

[aavery2]

Sling shot rig, a few years back I saw this on a website, I thought to myself now that might work. I guess people have caught fish using it, I am just not one of them.

[primetime]

I am not sold on the blinking led lures, although I can say with certainty that they catch fisherman really well. The shop I used to work for had a tub full of those Blaze lipless cranks that lit up when underwater and flashed red, and they were only 1.99 or 2.99, but we sold more Blaze lures than we did Cotton Cordell spots right next to the tub for same price by a large margin. Everyone knows the Cordell spots are a good lure, but they were attracted to the demo and flashing lights...Some of the most expensive lures, actually most, always have exotic paint jobs or awesome looking packaging, but ultimately, if you are good with a walking bait, a zara spook is going to get the job done in the right hands, I think it is more the angler than the lure most of the time, give KVD some Blaze crankbaits and I am sure he will do just fine with them.....